🏯 Let’s Go to the "Garden of a Thousand Gardens" (万园之园) – The Ruins of Yuanmingyuan, Beijing’s Lost

#chinatravel **** **📍 Location:** **Yuanmingyuan Park, Haidian District, Beijing** **🚇 Metro:** **Yuanmingyuan Station** (Line 4), Exit B, then 5-min walk to South Gate **🕒 Hours:** 7:00 AM–7:00 PM (summer) / 7:00 AM–5:30 PM (winter) **🎫 Entry:** ¥10 (ruins area ¥15 extra) --- ### **✨ Why Visit?** 1. **China’s Most Heartbreaking Beauty** – Once the Qing Dynasty’s ultimate imperial garden, blending Chinese and European styles (designed by Jesuits!). 2. **Surviving Ruins Tell a Story** – Broken marble columns and scattered sculptures whisper of its 1860 destruction by Anglo-French forces. 3. **Hidden Gems:** - **Western-Style Palace Ruins (西洋楼遗址)** – Baroque arches meet Chinese motifs. - **Labyrinth (黄花阵)** – A stone maze where emperors played moonlit games. - **Lotus Lakes** – Summer blooms mask the melancholy. --- ### **🚶♂️ How to Explore?** ✔ **Start at the South Gate** – Rent an audio guide (¥40) to decode the ruins. ✔ **Golden Hour Magic** – Sunset lights up the marble remnants in gold. ✔ **Boat Ride** (¥15) – Glide past willow-draped islands to the ruins. --- ### **💡 Smart Tips:** - **Pair With:** A visit to the **Summer Palace** (3km away) for a "before & after" contrast. - **Bring:** A hat and water – shade is scarce. - **Photography:** The broken Corinthian columns frame poignant shots. **🍂 Why Go?** This isn’t just a garden – it’s a **living history lesson** about beauty, power, and resilience. The crushed jade and melted bronze will haunt you. *(Want to find the secret spot where the emperor fed his goldfish? 🐠 DM me!)* #lostinhistory #beijinghiddengems